


First Kiss (and Last Hunt)

by Felis (kaitastrophic)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Manga & Anime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-11 11:17:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15971234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaitastrophic/pseuds/Felis
Summary: (Adaptation from the manga, Poison Princess [Dokuhime])"... If it’s necessary, slip out of your feelings. Because after this moment, you are not children anymore, you are the flowers you’re named after."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**My kiss does not tell tales of love.**

**My embrace does not give warmth.**

**The more they become valuable, the less I can touch them.**

**I only bring death.**

**A single drop of my tear can bring death, a single embrace can take somebody’s life.**

**Loneliness is the only supporter of mine and my future is drawn by someone else, waiting for me to accomplish.**

**What am I, what should I call my reflection when I see it? I have no difference than the fairies carrying death, we fight exactly the same thing.**

**I am someone who sacrificed my own life to take another one’s.**

*******

**This horrible fairy tale begins with a child abandoned in the forest. The only thing this lonely child can thing is surviving between those rocks and poisonous snakes wandering around. The warmth of the soil he’s grubbing up or the sunlight filtering between thick leaves are such dear graces for him. He suddenly realizes that the darkness of night has fallen onto his shoulders after looking up, dirt covering his little face. He was all alone and he had nobody to take as a shelter. Somehow, the child gets upon his fear and took a step into the darkness of forest.**

**The leaves were hitting on his face, owls were flying around to find their prey. But the child wasn’t afraid of them anymore. His mother warned him before coming here that naughty kids were always punished with something upsetting.**

**And Kyungsoo was pretty sure that he was a good kid, at least looking at his family’s calm behaviours. His mother told him to wait on the rock she helped him to sit and he really did. He waited until the dawn broke. But his mother didn’t come back and suddenly, he was all alone in this forest.**

**The woman who found him with a gaslight in her hand was slightly taller than him. Not that much, but she was tall enough for him to lift his head up in order to make an eye contact.**

**This woman was slowly becoming a silhouette in his memories as the days passed. Except the gaslight she held firmly in her hand, the woman was getting erased by his memories.**

**Because she looked both at him and his clothes covered in mud and settled for only murmuring “What a pitiful child left alone here, again.” The first thing he learnt from reality was that the life would be showing its bad side all of a sudden. The woman cupped his face into her palm and caressed it shortly, definitely with a sole sadness in her expression.**

**“Still, you have a beautiful face. Sadly your mother didn’t know your worth.”**

**And this woman took this little child to the Queen of the Forest. The Queen greeted the child wholeheartedly, and accepted to take care of him, just like the other young boys in her house.**

**As the woman holding her gaslight and getting lost in the darkness of night, the child stayed with the Queen.**

**“You can call me mother, or grandmother… as you want to.” Her voice was so soothing that any child wouldn’t sense any kind of harm.**

**“Are you that old to be a grandmother?” said the child and the Queen patted his head with a very low _“Yes.”_**

**He chose to call her as his grandmother after that. Grandmother was so kind and nice to all the children in her house at first. Cooked all the food they loved, knitted sweaters for them to wear in cold times. She even told them stories before sleep and shooed the things on their windows when they couldn’t make the night because of nightmares. She was a real Queen and a hero in front of those children’s eyes at first.**

**After a while, she gathered all of them around her and kindly asked to sit them. “I will offer you a game.” she told the children, playing with Kyungsoo’s hair because he was the closest one to the old lady. “All of you will become a prince. I will give you a name of loyalty and with that name you get, you will turn into a prince after you grow up well.”**

**“Are we going to get a white horse, too?” He couldn’t remember who asked this but the head movement of grandmother and how she replied with a “Yes” was still in his memories.**

**“For that, I will demand only one thing from you. My children, this old mother of you that will turn you into a genuine prince has big plans for you. In order of this, you have to do everything I expect from you without hesitation.” The children didn’t refuse her demand because none of them sensed the danger in her words.**

**In this game they became a prince, the name Kyungsoo got was derived from a little white flower. This flower was upside down after it bloomed and it was called “Convallaria”.**

**He was still remembering how it was itchy to touch this flower at first. He didn’t why he got this name, either. Adding to that, why was he getting called by a tiny, itchy flower when everybody else got names of bigger and prettier flowers? They were standing upside down, plus they were poisonous. He had no reason to love this name, the flower was no exception.**

**For a long time, the children didn’t know why they were given such weird names. Nobody questioned the reason of this, either. Because they were solely kids and they wanted nothing but playing games at that age.**

**As soon as they grow up, they would start figuring out what is going on.**

**The grandmother wanted from them to eat everything they are served. They were so grateful to the woman who saved them from dying alone in forest that they had to finish their plates even though they tasted awful.**

**They didn’t know why the taste of their food changed drastically. They tasted bitter now, and after eating the meals they had to curve under a blanket and wait for the stomach pain to end. The milk they drank was sour and even little children knew that fresh milk coming daily had to taste sweeter.**

**The summer was ahead but even at hotter days the children were freezing and trembling. Grandmother didn’t want them to hide under blankets and cared specifically for taking most of them to forest for running and lying under the pure sunlight. Some were too sick to get out of the house. Even one was never out of his bed, so they were so worried about that particular boy.**

**When they asked that why they were feeling too much pain with everything they do, the only answer they got was it took their sufferance to become a prince. They wouldn’t gain anything if they didn’t sacrifice anything.**

**What kind of sufferance, what kind of sacrifice were they told about, they didn’t know anything! This game (or whatever it was changing into) wasn’t normal as they realized. This “game” wasn’t like skipping ropes or playing hide and seek.**

**One of the children was in his death bed when grandma explained what this game was all about.**

**“This is a serious game, unlikely your hide and seek. I’m assuming that you are old enough to figure what this is all about… Until now, the food you’ve eaten and the forest I’ve sent you to play made you feel exhausted. All of you suddenly became ill and waited patiently to be cured. Well, what was this for? I will tell you: To make you turn into strong princes.**

**I told you that will not be easy for you, my children. I was taken aback by my own feelings to explain this to you, until now. Soon, one of your friends will die. You must know the reason behind this and you may die someday, too.**

**First, you can’t hug anyone except me and each other anymore. Don’t touch the cute animals you see at the forest. If you wound yourself while running, you can’t go to river anymore. I, from now on, forbid you from doing these kind of thoughtless behaviours.**

**And for the last, don’t cry in front of people you’re not aware of. Because your crying may took you to death like your friend. If it’s necessary, slip out of your feelings. Because after this moment, you are not children anymore, you are the flowers you’re named after.”**


	2. First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Open depiction of death and mention of death.

The fire was out, and the ashes were looking at the young man with a wicked smile. But it wasn’t Kyungsoo was focused, his eyes were still on his friend hanging in the air.

_Please wake up, you had to stay alive at the first place._

He put his hands on the cold soil. His knees were hitting to the rocks and even he was wearing a pair of shoes his feet were freezing. _Why are you that cold, my friend embraced you with all of his warmth, even with a smile on his face._

He was searching for the little necklace fell down. His hands were moving on the soil and desperately trying to find a warmth, ignoring the cold of the ground. _He wanted from me to keep that necklace._

Between the ashes, there was something still shining. It was the only witness standing of what Minseok has retailed. A porcelain horse and its saddle was from a gem stone. A white horse was lost in the pile of ash and dirt. He picked the necklace to wear onto own his neck even if it was covered in dirt.

_You can’t bury the poison princes. They’re that poisoned in their life that even their dead body will devastate the soil. That’s why, Convallaria, you have the burn a poison prince. The rest is in the nature’s hands. It’s like a poisoned child dying slowly._

_You were facing death right after the time you entered to this forest._

He’d rather use his own name than the poisoned flower name he was given years ago. He got up from his knees and look at his friend that never loved to be called as “Datura” for the last time. He wouldn’t be coming to this area of the forest for a good time. Minseok was found somewhere close to the rabbit holes and he was brought here by his own will.

_We’re no different than the flowers we’re named after. Seeing you like a withered Datura even burns my heart._

_****_

Convallaria, the flower he was named after is pretty small and it usually is upside down when they’re in full bloom. But its poison really felt like hell, maybe worse. He really felt he’d be thrown away to the forest dead if he didn’t tolerate to the nightmares and sick days only passing lying in bed. Was there any reason to feel close to Convallaria at all?

The grandmother usually told him that she decided to call him by this particular flower because of petite, white look. He was mostly shorter than the other poison princes and his skin tone was rather paler. He was looking just like the dressed up, royal people he saw in the books, reading them in secret.

He wasn’t thinking that was something to feel jealous about, he was nearly looking like a pale ghost but guess it was _something_ important that most of the people surrounding him weren’t feeling enough complimenting his looks. A pale, clear skin just like the royalty they’re trying to sneak in, black and bold eyes and lips perfectly completing this face. Grandmother insisted on that Convallaria was the most charming poison prince ever existed. He was taking this his personal curse rather than a compliment.

Ultimately, you wouldn’t come to an end if you counted the bad things happening because of beauty. People never believed that a beautiful face would cause them any harm. Himself was the biggest appeal. He didn’t even have a future? His future was burnt to ashes with his friend’s death. And he sat in front of him and cried because of his beautiful memory.

He watched his own reflection with the necklace on a puddle for a long time. Minseok warned him to not to lose the necklace because he wanted to keep the memory of the girl who gave it to him at the first hand. He could hide it if it was necessary but it seemed like there wasn’t any better choice to hand it to someone nobody couldn’t lay their hand.

“We have to talk.” said the grandmother as she held the young man’s face firmly and lifted up. “Squint your eyes.” She took time to look over his facial details, pride could be read from the woman’s eyes. “I knew it, and I told you so… None of the known poison princes had the beauty of yours before… None of them! Shame on people who didn’t know your value…” She was caressing young man’s face with her fingers. “It’s time to make you a real prince. I promised you and you will be one.”

He heard his own heartbeat going faster. His eyes were wide open and held his clothes covered in mud firmly. It was happening, just after leaving his friend dead in the forest made him feel sick.

“I will send you to another country. And after that, you will finally wear the crown you deserve.”


	3. Second

\- I -

The fire was out, and the ashes were looking at the young man with a wicked smile. But it wasn’t Kyungsoo was focused, his eyes were still on his friend hanging in the air.

_Please wake up, you had to stay alive at the first place._

He put his hands on the cold soil. His knees were hitting to the rocks and even he was wearing a pair of shoes his feet were freezing. _Why are you that cold, my friend embraced you with all of his warmth, even with a smile on his face._

He was searching for the little necklace fell down. His hands were moving on the soil and desperately trying to find a warmth, ignoring the cold of the ground. _He wanted from me to keep that necklace._

Between the ashes, there was something still shining. It was the only witness standing of what Minseok has retailed. A porcelain horse and its saddle was from a gem stone. A white horse was lost in the pile of ash and dirt. He picked the necklace to wear onto own his neck even if it was covered in dirt.

_You can’t bury the poison princes. They’re that poisoned in their life that even their dead body will devastate the soil. That’s why, Convallaria, you have the burn a poison prince. The rest is in the nature’s hands. It’s like a poisoned child dying slowly._

_You were facing death right after the time you entered to this forest._

He’d rather use his own name than the poisoned flower name he was given years ago. He got up from his knees and look at his friend that never loved to be called as “Datura” for the last time. He wouldn’t be coming to this area of the forest for a good time. Minseok was found somewhere close to the rabbit holes and he was brought here by his own will.

_We’re no different than the flowers we’re named after. Seeing you like a withered Datura even burns my heart._

_****_

Convallaria, the flower he was named after is pretty small and it usually is upside down when they’re in full bloom. But its poison really felt like hell, maybe worse. He really felt he’d be thrown away to the forest dead if he didn’t tolerate to the nightmares and sick days only passing lying in bed. Was there any reason to feel close to Convallaria at all?

The grandmother usually told him that she decided to call him by this particular flower because of petite, white look. He was mostly shorter than the other poison princes and his skin tone was rather paler. He was looking just like the dressed up, royal people he saw in the books, reading them in secret.

He wasn’t thinking that was something to feel jealous about, he was nearly looking like a pale ghost but guess it was _something_ important that most of the people surrounding him weren’t feeling enough complimenting his looks. A pale, clear skin just like the royalty they’re trying to sneak in, black and bold eyes and lips perfectly completing this face. Grandmother insisted on that Convallaria was the most charming poison prince ever existed. He was taking this his personal curse rather than a compliment.

Ultimately, you wouldn’t come to an end if you counted the bad things happening because of beauty. People never believed that a beautiful face would cause them any harm. Himself was the biggest appeal. He didn’t even have a future? His future was burnt to ashes with his friend’s death. And he sat in front of him and cried because of his beautiful memory.

He watched his own reflection with the necklace on a puddle for a long time. Minseok warned him to not to lose the necklace because he wanted to keep the memory of the girl who gave it to him at the first hand. He could hide it if it was necessary but it seemed like there wasn’t any better choice to hand it to someone nobody couldn’t lay their hand.

“We have to talk.” said the grandmother as she held the young man’s face firmly and lifted up. “Lower your eyes.” She took time to look over his facial details, pride could be read from the woman’s eyes. “I knew it, and I told you so… None of the known poison princes had the beauty of yours before… None of them! Shame on people who didn’t know your value…” She was caressing young man’s face with her fingers. “It’s time to make you a real prince. I promised you and you will be one.”

He heard his own heartbeat going faster. His eyes were wide open and held his clothes covered in mud firmly. It was happening, just after leaving his friend dead in the forest made him feel sick.

“I will send you to somewhere. And after that, you will finally wear the crown you deserve.”

\- II - 

The clothes he was forced to wear, the carrier he sat into and the lies surrounding him… All of them had a purpose and it was to convince the country he was going that he was a real prince. According to the sentence given between two lands after a tiresome war, the one he lived and the one that he was offered as a “present”, two royalties of crown were going to get married in order to start the “era of peace”. But the Queen was so protective to offer her own crown prince and their plan was the exact opposite of the sentence. She decided to hide the actual crown prince and send a poison prince acting like her son.

Someone who was aesthetically perfect and preferably quiet was needed for this quest. Someone that couldn’t be exposed by their talk and someone who wasn’t going to be rejected by the crown princess… And he was the chosen one for this job.

Since the kingdom he’s being sent was threatened by a previous poison prince beforehand, his job was getting tougher. _One simple mistake and all of your beloved ones are getting beheaded._

Even if he was dying because of stress he could perfectly hide this under his expressions and he was used to lying in his earlier ages. Hiding his emotions was so easy for him, too.

He was handed a shiny sword to carry on his waist because the crown prince he was replaced with was very fond of tactical and military arts, a well-known trait of him even outside of the kingdom.

The sword was hanging at his waist when he was alighting from the carriage. The maids greeted him by bowing in front of him. The carpet laid under his feet were gave a strange feeling, yet he didn’t let his amazement be seen from his expression. He was walking on the carped laid for him with a strong confidence.

***

The meeting ball was turned to a fancy party with the attendance of royalty and their vivid costumes. It was fascinating for a new comer, no matter if you’re a crown or a poison prince.

“My name is Convallaria Majalis, and it is my pleasure to meet you.” Kneeling down before the king and the princess looking like a marble statue, he put his hand onto his chest. Lifting his head up, he suddenly realized that the princess was silently observing him. Definitely she was curious about the person she was going to spend her life. People who sent him here had no mistake; she was quickly fallen for his looks.

This lady was thinking how a fair skin can look so beautiful on someone. It was impossible not to get impressed.

The attendants gathered here were all possible allies for his country but except trying to meet all of them, he was going to pick one or two that will help in his own thing. Ambassadors of foreign countries only in peace because of a paper were wandering around and probably they had the same plan as his, explaining why he was never alone during the whole afternoon.

But there was only this man circling around him from the beginning of the ball. Every time they came across, Kyungsoo always caught him silently looking at him. And instead of cutting the eye contact, he would continue observing him. It was pretty clear that he was seeing Kyungsoo as a threat and trying to circle him like a wolf trying to circle its prey. _Thinking about that… He wasn’t an easy one, though._

“Milady, do you know the person standing at the corner of the balcony?” The girl turned her head with the happiness of getting referred gentle like this.

“Do you mean the person leaning onto the fences?” The person watching him for the whole time was somehow puzzled after hearing the conversation.

"Of course I do know! He is the head guardian!” The sparkling expression of princess couldn’t hide the fact that they were talking about him.

"He doesn’t have the look of a guardian, surprisingly.” It was more like… someone from royalty brought here unwillingly.

“If you wish, I can command him to come here.”  He lowered down the princess’ hand raising up to call the guardian. “No need, guessing that we will see each other more later on.” he replied with a warm smile to the princess, still looking for the guardian. It was kind of proving his words, how his hands were gliding over the champagne glass with such prying eyes.

And it was possible to say that he was seeking for a free time to chatter, to come closer to the prince.

After the grand clock hit the midnight, the princess left the ball room saluting everybody attended, and her guardian. After that, the rest happening was excluding the princess.

The guardian followed the poison prince to the balcony where was empty if you don’t count in the mute servants continuing their service. This moment was probably the first time our poison prince was talking to his hunter.

“Your face is glowing.” claimed the guardian, slowly moving to the side of the prince. “But I still couldn’t figure out why. If it’s because of the outpouring of your beauty or your courage left inside, maybe the time will tell.”

“At least I still have the courage to reflect on my face… Better than hiding behind all those fancy words, after all.” His reply made the guardian laugh.

“Also, it’s interesting that how you can describe me as… _beautiful.”_

The guardian sat onto the marbe railings, linking his arms, looking at the prince dressed in fully black attire. “Thinking that you’re a con-man doesn’t change the fact that you have a God send beauty. Probably you’re aware, that’s why you’re using in dangerous games.”

“Along with being a coward, you’re a maligner too. How can they even choose you as someone who could be trustworthy—“ He had to pull his head back in order to stay away from the knife. Lights of the castle was softening the features of the guardian’s face and giving a kinder shadow.

“If your courage is all about mockery, it’s better not to exist at the first place.” The guardian pulled back his knife to not scratch the prince’s skin.  “You… are the most cold-hearted con man I’ve ever witnessed. I can understand this only from your eyes.” he said, putting the knife back to its carrier. “Admit it when nobody’s around… You’re not here for a diplomatic marriage… aren’t you? That’s not even your genuine name.” The only thing could be counted as a reply was the prince’s smile.

“I knew it. You don’t have the stubbornness of a royal. You have a lousy modesty.” The guardian was looking at the stranger in silence. _Was it even possible for a man to be this beautiful?_

“You don’t look like a fan of what you’re doing, if we’re being honest.”

“I don’t, it’s that mellow from a job always facing off death.” The prince linked his arms, looking directly at the night sky. _Maybe he should ask the same question to himself, also._

“Hey, you’re not a real prince… right?”

“Am I that kind of a bad actor?” There wasn’t any secret left to hide.

"No. You’re the best one I’ve ever seen until now, even I believed in what you claimed before. But you’re not the _first_ one, I’ve seen countless con men before, that’s the point where you lose, but… you  impressed me, I have to admit.” When he looked at the poison prince again, the skin he praised somehow seemed paler than earlier.

“But don’t worry, your secret will remain at me as a secret. If you’re going to reveal yourself, do it by your own.” If he hugged the prince, he would definitely be lost in guardian’s arms. The uneven thought of this sent a tremble down his spine.

“What’s your name?” The prince was still looking at the sky even when asked this question, putting the sword down he carried all night long.

“Are you always that absent-minded?”

“I asked first.” The prince’s voice tone was calm. As the candles were going out one by one, the stars filling the sky were becoming clear to gaze. “Okay. But your real name as a repayment is a must.” The guardian turned his eyes to the North Star after combing his hair. “Normally you will hear people calling me by another name, I don’t know how much you’ll stay here but that doesn’t matter anymore. My name is Jongin.” He turned his head to the poison prince as if he’s waiting for the repayment.

“Kyungsoo.” He was refusing to look at the guardian’s face anyways. But he couldn’t help himself to smile after listening what the guardian said after.

“Your name is prettier than a flower withering in days, believe me.” Odd, the guardian still wanted to look at the prince’s face even after discovering his real identity, wondering why he couldn’t catch his gaze, _still…_

But he was sure that there was a feeling clearer than the sky full of stars. Clearer than the moonlight and flickering than a light beam of a dying out candle.

Speaking of moon… Maybe he was fallen down to Earth from the Moon. Maybe that was the reason of his beauty.

“I believe in you.” The prince walked alone to the open gates of the balcony. He would be greeted with a never ending luxury but there was something causing him to feel uncomfortable.

"Do you want me to accompany you? The halls are in a utter dark after midnight.”

“I think I can go on my own, thank you.” He looked at the guardian left behind for the last time and got out of the ball room echoed by his steps.

The same guardian literally circling him during the whole ball, Jongin as he introduced himself, was giving a sincere feeling during their short talk. Letting the things he worked hard not to come to light out. The poison prince really wanted to reap the benefit of what he sacrificed, a big part of his life.

But!

These kind of actions were such retentive for someone who spent their life trying to hide their feelings… _This shouldn’t mean like he was giving up so easily. There wasn’t any place in his life for love or such things._

He wouldn’t let someone win over him after a few compliments that will make him feel… like an actual person with feelings. His steps started slowing down when he entered to the main hall. Jongin was right, it was pitching dark. He continued walking but holding on to the walls. Before reaching to his own bedroom, the dark was out with candles in the room. _But, what was he going to do if he was tricked by the guardian’s words?_

He wanted to look at his reflection. There was no change in his appearance, he still had the same pale skin. His eyes were still in their dark shade and probably after cleaning the powder in order to look healthier, he was going to see the dark circles underneath his eyes.

_A God sent beauty…_ He even complimented to his beauty shining out! He pinched his cheeks after catching himself grinning. _Don’t create such nonsense! You’re not some rich merchant’s son, who are you to catch feelings?_

He clutched the necklace hanging from his neck. “If you cherish your friend, then you have to work hard as much as he did!” He was shouting at his reflection with a hate created by people complimenting his looks.

All of were victims of a beautiful face, a lifted chest or fancy words and they would be proud of this! He was filled with grudge and a definite anger to himself because of taking those compliments.

_Be honest to yourself… It touched your heart for being praised only for being yourself, not because of getting over wolfs bane’s poison. And because of that, you tried to turn yourself into the stone cold mould… again._

Maybe the guardian wasn’t seeing Kyungsoo as a target from the beginning. But all of a sudden, he was someone impossible to be hidden in front of Kyungsoo’s eyes.

He was going to show his courage, by using what he is best at.


End file.
